London Borough of Enfield (25 018 113)
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council delays in dealing with a request for a refund because the matter has been remedied.
The complaint
- Mr X complains that the Council were too slow in replying to his request for a Council tax refund.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X says that he complained in August 2024 that he had not received a refund following the revision of his Council tax banding.
- The Council initially told Mr X in November 2024 that he would receive a refund of £886 following the review. However, in February 2025 the Council apologised and told him that the refund would only be £63 because the amount did not reflect the decrease in entitlement to Council tax support.
- The Council apologised for the delays in replying and the original error.
- I appreciate the time and trouble caused to Mr X but I consider the Council’s apology a sufficient remedy to this matter
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the matter has been remedied.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman